SWEET RETURN

How a UNHCR–UNDP partnership in Eastern Afghanistan is turning beekeeping kits into stable incomes, local jobs, and a functioning honey value chain

February 4, 2026

Returning is never a single action.

For many families, coming back to Afghanistan after many years as refugees abroad is a long stretch of rebuilding: - finding shelter, re-entering communities, and, most critically, securing a regular income to ensure survival.

The scale of returns in Afghanistan has intensified that pressure: UNDP has warned that the large influx of returnees – 2.8 million in 2025 alone - is straining recovery and basic services in areas of return, with negative consequences for both returnees, and the communities which host them.

In the east of the country, one joint initiative is showing what “durable solutions” can look like when humanitarian reach and development market systems are able to connect.

The informal name of the initiative is “Sweet Return” - an apt name, because it combines the producing high-quality honey with providing long-term resilience for returnees.

Last year, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supported 150 returnees and vulnerable households with beekeeping livelihood packages. In Afghanistan, beekeeping is widely selected as a livelihood option because it can generate income with relatively modest land and input requirements, and it can link quickly into local markets when value addition exists.

But keeping bees to produce honey is only part of the equation. The real test is selling the honey, including during peak harvest periods when informal markets can be flooded with produce, causing prices to drop.

What farmers (both of honey and other produce) are often missing is the expertise and equipment to properly store their product, so that it can keep its quality past the harvest season, and fetch better prices when the product is scarcer, especially over winter months. In addition, better packaging and labelling means that products can be sold in more markets, including abroad, where customers have certain expectations of how a product is presented.

That is where UNDP stepped in.

UNDP built on UNHCR’s work by supporting two honey processing centres in high-return areas of Surkhrod (Nangarhar province) and Mehtarlam (Laghman province).

The centres provide quality processing, packaging, labeling, storage, and reliable routes to market - so small producers can approach more sophisticated markets than roadside stalls.

Both these centres now function as processing and sales points. They purchase honey directly from beekeepers, including UNHCR-supported producers, offering more predictable demand and clearer pricing. In practice, this shifts beekeeping from a seasonal side activity into a more sustainable household livelihood.

Surkhrod processing center

This Centre operates a full processing cycle for honey products: hygienic extraction, filtration, food-grade packaging, labeling, and storage. It sells the honey through its retail shop, local markets, and trader networks reaching multiple provinces. The business employs 10 workers as well as supporting 30 incomes indirectly, sourcing from an estimated 30–40 beekeepers. Following UNDP grant support for equipment upgrades and packaging materials, the centre reports significantly expanded processing capacity and more consistent market reach.

“With the UNDP grant, we upgraded filtration and packaging,” says Allah Nazar Nazari, the owner of the plant. “That increased our capacity and allowed us to buy more honey from local beekeepers, creating jobs and giving suppliers a stable market.”

Mehtarlam processing center (Abdul Matin)

This centre runs the same end-to-end processing workflow and purchases from around 30 beekeepers. It reports 8 direct jobs and annual processing volumes in the 2,500–3,000 kg range, with product differentiation by variety and price point. Beyond buying honey, the center can also provide processing services for producers who prefer to retail independently—an additional pathway for smallholders to upgrade quality without losing ownership of their product.

Abdul Matin, the owner, says, “When honey is filtered and packaged well, it sells for more—and that benefit flows back to producers. Our commitment is that UNHCR-supported beekeepers can link to our center and access fair services and prices.”

All this is excellent news for the honey farmers who are hoping to get the best price for their product.

One of those farmers is Noor. He returned to Afghanistan in 2023 and now lives in Surkhrod. Before receiving support, Noor relied on irregular farm work on land owned by others, with unstable income for a household of ten.

In late December 2024, he received a complete beekeeping package from UNHCR (hives, basic processing and filtering tools, sugar, protective equipment, and essential supplies). He expanded from 10 hives to 80, producing around 300 kg per season and earning roughly AFN 90,000 per season. Crucially, access to a processor-buyer reduced the risk of being forced to sell at low prices during peak supply.

“After returning, I struggled with unstable work,” says Noor. “Beekeeping changed that - I can support my family and plan. Knowing there is a buyer during the season gives us confidence to grow.”

Another honey farmer is Ghulam, also from Surkhrod. For Ghulam, the “before” was daily wage labor: often unavailable, always unpredictable, and rarely enough to consistently meet household needs. With the beekeeping package and the ability to sell locally, honey became a steadier source of income than casual labor, reducing the household’s exposure to lean periods.

“Before, many days I could not find work,” he says. With beekeeping, I have a livelihood that depends on effort and planning, not luck.”

The Sweet Return initiative is part of a suite of projects which sees UN agencies working together, leveraging their comparative advantages. For UNHCR, this is obviously their long-standing experience working with and supporting refugees and returnees. For UNDP, it is their ability to support sustainable livelihoods, linking up producers to markets and providing them with the resources to succeed and to grow their business.

And for the farmers like Noor and Ghulam who are reaping the benefits – it is sweet success.